The outgoing Basile tries the jackpot in the first round, 4 attempt to contain him: here they are

Five candidates and a mega favorite: the incumbent, Federico Basile. At the starting line of the electoral campaign, the former mayor, who resigned, is clearly ahead. Considered by many critics as a “mere executor” of the wishes of Cateno De Luca, Basile was first in the board of auditors, and finally a candidate for mayor for Sud chiama Nord in the 2022 elections, which he won by a wide margin, that is, in the first round, with 45.33% of the votes.

And it is on a new victory in the first round that De Luca is also aiming this time, as he will close his lists in the coming days. “A war machine,” assures those who have already seen the names of the candidates. Today, the outgoing mayor's party will present the first 10 lists, but there are reportedly another 5 on the way, just for the city council. A true call to arms from De Luca, who will present as many as 50 in the districts.

Competing against the massive organization of ScN is the entire center-right, from Fdi, to Fi, to Lega, to Mpa, where Francantonio Genovese now militates. A battleship that currently counts only 9 lists. And it has placed its chips on Marcello Scurria.

These last two names make the electoral race in the Strait particularly intriguing. Genovese was mayor of Messina for the Pd, elected after the fall of Peppino Buzzanca, who fell precisely due to civic action legally supported by Scurria, one of the brightest administrative lawyers in the city. A former city secretary of the Ds, Scurria did not join the Pd precisely in protest against Genovese's entry into the Democrats, who is now among his supporters.

Meanwhile, in the center-left coalition, finally a woman steps forward: Antonella Russo. Elected in 2013 on the list of the Progressive Democrats, Russo was Genovese's lawyer for two consultancies. She was among the signatories of the no-confidence motion against Accorinti (which failed), and in the past, she held favorable positions for the construction of the Bridge, but it was a different historical moment, and her statements need to be “contextualized,” she now emphasizes: “I have consistently shared the No Bridge battles.”

However, the electoral campaign of the only woman seems to be all uphill: the broad field would have only 4-5 lists ready. Closing the circle of candidates are the former chief engineer of the Civil Engineering Department, and former mayoral candidate in 2018 for the M5s, Gaetano Sciacca, and the outsider, the barber Lillo Valvieri: «A craftsman, a worker, a husband, a dad», this is how he introduced himself to the citizens. These last two will serve as the balance wheel in the second round. And there are those who are ready to swear that a faction of the Democrats is ready to support the former party mate Scurria. Provided that they reach the second round.